Surgeon&#39;s obstetrical appliance



I July 30, 1935. J J FREYMANN, 2,009,655

SURGEONS OBSTETRICAL APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 14, 1954 2 Sheets5heet'1 3nventor U gDHN d. FREYMA-N-N (Ittbrneg July 30, 1935. J J, FREYMANN 2,009,655

SURG-EONS OBSTETRICAL APPLIANCE Filed Dec. 14, 1.934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Q 1 q Bnventor I "JOE-IN d. FREYMANN (Ittorneg I Patented July 30, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SURGEONS OBSTETRICAL APPLIANCE John J. Freymann, Omaha, Nebr. v

Application December 14, 1934, Serial No. 757,475

5 Claims. (01. 12831) This invention relates to a surgeons obstetrical appliance, for use in pairs to be held in the hands of a patient while experiencing pains incident to child birth, a pair of straps being provided for said appliances adapted to besecured to the foot of the surgeons operating table, obstetrical delivery table, labor bed or other support on which the patient reclines, and operating to stabilize and assist the physical force exerted by the arms and body while pulling rearwardly upon the straps, as an aid in effecting delivery.

It is obvious that if ordinary pull-straps were used for this purpose theywould not be depend able since they necessarily would only be held voluntarily by the patient whose temperament might be hysterical or who might repeatedly lose the straps while under the temporary influence of hypnotic or narcotic drugs. Also the strength of a patient for a hand-hold on ordinary straps might not be sujficient for retaining them while experiencing pain, and in such instances the uncontrolled and incoordinated use, of the hands permit the patient to disarrange and contaminate the sterile sheets and the sterile operating field, and to interfere with the activities of the surgeon, the attendance of an additional nurse or other assistant often being necessary in such cases for an adequate restraint of the patients hands.

The object of the invention, broadly, is to provide a surgical appliance which will permit free movements of the body and muscular contraction and retraction generally, an appliance which cannot be dropped, lost or discarded by the patient, but will be dependable for gently preventing purposeless and misdirected use of the hands, especially of an intractable patient, and will bring to the assistance of the patient selfoperating traction means as a humane aid.

The invention includes a pair of appliances which support the wrists and arms as well as the hands, and which provide handles which may be effectively gripped and held, and which brings the wrists into use as well as the hands for resisting stresses directed thereto. Also the invention includes certain adjustable features found to be of advantage.

With the foregoing objects in view the invention presents a new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that changes may be made in size, form, proportions and minor details, said changes being with in the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. l is a top plan view of an appliance for the left hand.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is aside view of the parts shown in' Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of an appliance for the right hand of ajpatient.

Fig. 5 is a detail relating to Fig. 1, being a transverse section through a grooved socket on an enlargedscale.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing relative positions for the surgical appliances when attached to an operating table.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, each appliance consists, in part, of a hand-clasping rung or handle 5 adapted to be gripped by the hand of a patient, said rung having a suitable inclination together with longitudinal and transverse curvatures so that it will fit the palm of the'hand when grasped d by said patient.

Numeral Eindicates a pad or wristband adapted to be secured-to the wrist by straps a, said straps being perforated'as indicated at land provided with buckles 8 so that the wristband may be adjusted to fit wrists of varying proportions.

At 9 is indicated a rigid spacing-member which is secured at its respective ends to the rung and wristband for maintaining them in fixed relation at a suitable distance from each other, said member 9 preferably having a longitudinal curvature, indicated at Iii, conforming to the shape of the hand.

At I I is indicated a coupling-member approximately of U-shape and, as a matter of construction, the rung is disposed between the ends of the coupling with its ends secured thereto. A strap [2 connects the coupling member I! to a support, such as an operating table [3.

The hand-clasping rung 5 is provided with a hand-retaining strap Madapted to extend over the back thereof to' assist in maintaining the hand in gripped position, and to prevent misdirected use of the hand while experiencing labor pains, said strip being provided with perforations l5 and a buckle Hi to permit adjustments.

Since the distance from a rung 5 to the wristband 6 may differ with individuals, depending upon physical development, the spacing-member being provided with a slot 2! for receiving the set-screw, and obviously, if the screw is rotated in one direction said member 9 may have a slidable movement in the grooved socket to increase or to decrease said distance, and by rotating the screw in a reverse direction the spacing-member may be firmly secured to the socket member.

It will be noted that, during operation, when the straps l2 are urged rearwardly by a patient, the wrists will sustain a part of the load, each rung and wristband and spacing-member being disposed approximately in line and operating as a unit, the wristbands, of course, being adjusted to fit securely upon the wrists, and the fact that the wrists may sustain a part of the stress is an important feature since the fingers which grip the rungs may be lacking in strength.

It will be noted that since the members 5, 6 and 9 operate as a unit in directing a rearward pulling force, the retaining-members l4 may be dispensed within some instances, depending upon the temperament and degree of self control of the patient, but their use is generally preferred.

It is thought that the appliance thus described will be appreciated as a humane method for gently restraining the misdirected activities mentioned of an obstetrical patient, and that the use of the appliances by the patient will be found to be of great advantage.

While the invention has been described asa means for personal control in obstetrical cases, it is obvious that it may have a general use as a surgical appliance in all instances when, in the opinion of the surgeon, it is considered advisable or necessary'to prevent manual interference on the part of a patient with the activities of the surgeon during the progress of an operation, and therefore the invention is not limited to obstetrical cases in its use.

Since it is necessary in some instances during an operation, whether the case is obstetrical or otherwise, to limit movements of the hands transversely of the body and thereby prevent the interferences mentioned, a pair of control-straps 22 are provided, each being secured at one end to a coupling-member H, its opposite end being mounted on a slide-bar 23, the latter being mounted on the sides of the support I3, and

while the appliances may be moved longitudinally of the body of the patient, any transverse movements transversely thereof will be limited for the purpose described.

I claim as my invention,-

1. In a surgeons appliance for a patient, a pair of cylindrical rungs arranged to be secured to a stationary support, a pair of wristbands, a pair of rigid spacing-members each adapted to engage and having a curvature conforming to the shape of a hand of the patient and operating to secure a rung to a wristband, and means extending from the ends of the rungs for securing the hands of the patient to said rungs.

2. In a surgeons appliance for a patient, a rung arranged to be secured to a stationary support, a wristband, a spacing-member adapted to engage and having a part conforming to the shape of a hand of the patient and mounted upon and arranged to maintain the wristband at a selected distance from said rung.

3. In a surgeons appliance for a patient, a hand-clasping rung arranged to be secured to a stationary support, a wristband, a rigid spacingmember secured at its respective ends to the rung and wristband, and a strap extending from the ends of the rung for engaging the back of the hand for securing the latter to said rung.

4. In a surgeons appliance for a patient, a hand-clasping rung arranged to be secured to a stationary support, a wristband, means engaging and arranged for maintaining said rung and wristband in spaced relation relative to each other, and a strap extending from the ends and disposed in the plane of the rung for engaging the back of the hand.

5. In a surgeons appliance for a patient, a pair of cylindrical rungs arranged to be secured to a support, a pair of wristbands, a pair of spacingmembers each adapted to engage and having a curved part conforming to a curved part of a hand of the patient and mounted upon and arranged to maintain a rung at a selected distance from a wristband, and a pair of straps each extending from the ends of a rung adapted to engage the back of the hand of the patient for securing said hand to said rung. 7

JOHN J. FREYMANN. 

